The poor also make bad financial emergency decisions like using payday loan companies and loansharks, so a significant amount of their actual income just goes to paying off debts.
I lived in the "poorest postal code in Canada" and it was full of guys who traded food to each other like they were still in prison. If you didn't pay the huge interest payments you found yourself assaulted, unable to work, and deeper in the hole
I don't think it's necessarily poor financial decision making that leads to payday loans. If you are poor you are unlikely to qualify for a regular loan and you might not have family who can lend you the money you need.
If you find yourself with a week until payday and £0 in the bank it may be difficult not to consider the option.
I lived in the "poorest postal code in Canada" and it was full of guys who traded food to each other like they were still in prison. If you didn't pay the huge interest payments you found yourself assaulted, unable to work, and deeper in the hole